infoTECH News

[February 26, 2013]

AME Info, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, technology briefs

Feb 26, 2013 (AME Info - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
LG ACQUIRES HP'S WEBOS: South Korea's LG has agreed to acquire WebOS from HP to use the operating system for its smart televisions, Cnet has reported. Under the terms of the agreement, LG is to obtain the source code for WebOS, related documentation, engineering talent, and related WebOS web sites. LG would also get HP licences for use with its WebOS products, and patents HP obtained from Palm. The financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed.

MICROSOFT'S COMPUTERS HACKED: Microsoft has said a small number of its computers, including some in its Mac software business unit, have been infected with malware, but there was no evidence of customer data being affected and it is continuing its investigation, Reuters has reported. The world's largest software company said the security intrusion was "similar" to recent ones reported by Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc. Over the past week or so, both Apple and Facebook said computers used by employees were attacked after visiting a software developer website infected with malicious software.

DUBAI RECORDS 30 percent JUMP IN E-CRIME: Dubai Police has said electronic crimes are increasing every year, with the number of cases up more than 30 percent in 2012, Khaleej Times has reported. The police set up specific departments to tackle a new breed of crimes that have surfaced due to the information technology revolution and the rise of the internet use, said Dubai Police deputy commander-in-chief Maj. Gen. Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina. A total of 278 e-crime complaints had been lodged in 2008, which jumped to 436 complaints in 2009, 445 in 2010, 588 in 2011 and 772 in 2012, he said.

TABLET SALES SURGED 78 percent LAST YEAR: IDC: Research firm IDC has said the global market for tablet computers surged 78.4 percent in 2012, with 128 million of the devices shipped, AFP has reported. Tablets made up 10.7 percent of the global market last year for "smart connected devices," which include smartphones, and portable and desktop PCs, the firm said. Overall, the market for these devices grew 29 percent to 1.2 billion, with growth in tablets and smartphones, which saw a 46 percent jump, offsetting declines in PC sales, according to IDC.